Friday Five: A Sample of Spain

I’m baaaack! And what a trip it was! Spain surprised me in the best way; I didn’t know what to expect, despite everyone I know who’d been there swearing it was gorgeous and amazing and I’d love it. Our itinerary was kind of a whirlwind, but we got to see so much of the country and so many charming cities I wouldn’t change a thing. We arrived in Madrid last Sunday, drove north to San Sebastián on the coast on Tuesday, east to Pamplona on Thursday, Zaragoza on Friday, and finally to Barcelona on Saturday, where we stayed until this past Wednesday. Jamal did all the driving (stick shift!) and I served as our chief navigator and entertainment coordinator, the former made possible by the pocket wifi we rented before our trip, which turned out to be indispensable. We only just got the hang of Spanish before we entered Basque country to the north, where they speak a completely indecipherable language native only to that region. And once we felt comfortable with Basque, we headed off to Barcelona, where the Catalan accents threw us off again. By default, I kept lapsing into French, and for some reason couldn’t stop wanting to say, “Ciao!” to everyone when we left restaurants and shops. Oy. Fun fact, our lisping th‘s got a lot better after a big gin & tonic, the unofficial drink of the entire country (or so it seemed. They’re everywhere, and they’re gigantic and cheap!).

Long story short, we loved Spain. The people were so friendly and helpful and patient (you can tell I’ve been to France too often when this sticks out), the architecture was astoundingly beautiful, the jamon iberico was abundant and inexpensive, the weather was a dream. Sure, by the last few days we were both saying we needed a vacation from our vacation, but really, isn’t that the best possible complaint?

I have about 375 photos to sort through and edit, so I thought I’d start small and post one from each of the five cities we visited for today’s Friday Five, just to whet your appetite. You can catch up on Instagram with the hashtag #likewantneedespaña.

1. Madrid:

2. San Sebastián

3. Pamplona

4. Zaragoza

5. Barcelona

I’ll be back on Monday with more photos from Madrid! Have a great weekend, kiddos!

Ah, can’t wait to see your photos! I spent one weekend in Madrid visiting a friend 7 years ago and ever since, I’ve been dreaming about the day I can go back. Looking forward to reliving some of it through your pics next week. :)

ErinMay 10, 2016 at 9:26 AM

Ooh, seven years is too long! Another trip is in order! ;) Having just gotten back, I am already itching to go again! Something about Spain captured my heart! xo

Mommy MooMay 6, 2016 at 4:52 PM

Gorg…and welcome back!!! I want to hear all about it!

ErinMay 10, 2016 at 9:27 AM

Gracias! I am missing it already! xo

terukoMay 6, 2016 at 6:37 PM

Well, I truely love Spain too, but…. do you now prefere Spain to France/Paris? Luckely you don´t have to choose, but – what do you think? Just curious.
PS! Wonderful Pictures!

ErinMay 10, 2016 at 9:28 AM

Oh, that’s such a tough question! I think Paris will always be my #1, but Spain as a whole really wowed me! I haven’t spent too much time outside of Paris to really compare, so maybe I need to do that before I can answer you! ;) xo